Immersive experience for aquarium visitors

Laser projection by Sony has slashed maintenance needs while boosting picture quality at Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere.

The spectacular colour, contrast and image clarity of the VPL-FHZ55 3LCD laser projector has helped capture the imagination of visitors at the popular aquarium that opened in 2005. Exhibits at the 10 million gallon attraction include underwater video footage of reefs and sea otters, plus a rear-projected fog curtain that creates the illusion of an underwater kelp forest.

Downtime is a no-no for the AV team at Georgia Aquarium who struggled against tough conditions with a costly and time-consuming maintenance programme for their previous fleet of conventional projectors. Something had to change, and our groundbreaking laser projector provided the opportunity to cut lamp/filter replacement and labour costs in a harsh operating regime.

Non-stop entertainment

Installed last year, ten FHZ55 laser projectors have been running non-stop for up to 13 hours a day during peak times at the busy visitor attraction.

“We had high expectations for the Sony laser projectors, and they’ve surpassed them,” says Ryan Sheorn, Manager of Audio/Video at Georgia Aquarium. “We don’t perform maintenance while our doors are open to the public, so staff members have one of the most challenging tasks — avoiding any downtime whatsoever. With the VPL-FHZ55, we have a solution that is a breakthrough across the board. It makes our work easier and reduces costs while delivering the necessary ‘wow’ factor for audiences.”

“When I first heard about this breakthrough technology, I knew it could be just what we’ve been looking for” notes Ryan. “Then, when we got hands-on with Sony’s VPL-FHZ55, there was no question.”